Buddhist Monk Explains Why Meditation Does Not Require Complete Silence
A Buddhist monk challenges common assumptions about silent meditation.
Meditation is often associated with silence, closed eyes and an environment free from interruptions, but Buddhist monk Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche offers a different approach. In a recent interview with The Guardian, he explained that everyday sounds and interruptions can become part of meditation rather than something practitioners must block out. The approach encourages people to practise awareness even when their surroundings are busy or unpredictable.
Mingyur suggests that people can begin by paying attention to sounds that are easy to accept, such as music, birdsong or running water. As they become more comfortable, they can gradually include more distracting sounds, including conversations, traffic or construction noise. Rather than becoming frustrated by these sounds, practitioners can simply notice them and bring their attention back to the present moment.
The approach also changes how people may respond to uncomfortable emotions such as boredom, loneliness or anger. Instead of immediately reaching for a phone or trying to push an unpleasant feeling away, people can pause and observe what is happening. Paying attention to breathing and physical sensations can help create space between an emotion and an immediate reaction, allowing the person to observe the experience without automatically acting on it.
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Mingyur's teachings also encourage people to treat difficult emotions as experiences that can be explored. When anger arises, for example, awareness can help a person notice the emotion before responding. He uses the image of sunlight melting frost to explain how awareness can gradually change emotional patterns without requiring people to fight or suppress them.
The Buddhist monk describes Tibetan Buddhist practice through three interconnected ideas: view, meditation and application. View influences how a person understands experiences, meditation develops awareness, and application brings that awareness into everyday life. Small practices, such as noticing something appreciated, showing kindness or taking a few natural breaths before responding to anger, can therefore become part of a daily routine.
The broader message is that meditation does not necessarily require a perfect environment or long periods of uninterrupted quiet. Ordinary moments can provide opportunities to practise awareness, whether someone is listening to sounds around them or observing their own thoughts and emotions. Mingyur also connects lasting happiness with qualities such as breathing, love and compassion, suggesting that meditation can involve changing one's relationship with everyday experiences rather than escaping from them.
Also Read: Harvard Explains Meditation Techniques Rooted In Centuries-Old Spiritual Traditions
